Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-18
PREHISTORIC REMAINS.
a Whole City Urearthod In sousk.rn Ari-
NashlngtOn Post.

during the past year by Professor Franz
Cushmau, who has charge of an exploring
expedition in Southern Arizona. He VIZ:
occupied in the Salt River valley the pss
summer. The Salt River valley is the
most fertile region in Arizora. IL lies
about eighty miles northwest Of Tucson,
on either side Of the Salt river, neal
I where it joins the ella. Father Keno
made explorations there about 1897,
when ne Travelled through Arizona to es
taolish Jesuit missions, and he speaks q
1t as having considerable population OF
Indians who have since become known as
the Plmas ard Maricopas. But he dis.
covered traces of heavy population that
had existed long before and that bad be-
come extinct. Among the evidence were
OLD lTr1gating canals, ruins of buildings
and stone utensils, both for Wsr and do
mestic use.
Professor Cuehman, it will be remem-
oered by many, was for some time iden-
titled wi researches connected with the
Zuni Indians of Colorado. He lived
nine years with the Zunis, acquired per
fect mastery OF their language, has writ
ten many interesting articles about them,
aud has had personal charge of two dele
gstlons OF them that have visited the east.
Mr.. Cushman has strong passion for
Indian lore, whether it be of the present
or prehistoric time, and to his enthusi-
asm and energy, coupled with very ex-
haustlVe information IN kindred TOPICS,
the scientific world is very greatly in
debted
Mr.. Cushman has been at work several
months on the ruins of Salt River valley.
and had the pleasure OF making him q
visit In the early part Of August. A
friend and arrived at his camp early in
the morning, hoping to get in before
breakfast, as %e had slept on the plain
the night before and no house Was within
many niles. The country immediately
surrounding was SO level as the bosom OF
lake, but about on the Outside were
groups Of mountains rising abruptly
from the plain and looking like
pictures against the sky in the
fresh light Of the morning. MESQUITE
groves ten or fifteen feet high were scat
tered shout like trees In an orchard.
bearing wonderful and constantly de-
ceptiVe resemblance to 8 growth that has
been trained by the hand Of man. 1t is
Characteristic OF the mesquite groves OF
Arizona, though as wild as the sage bush
Itself, or the gamma grass upon which the
buffalo FED when they lad an undisturbed
domEin from Dsk1ta to Texas. Mr..
Cushmsn's camp looked more ike &
military corral than the peaceful abode |
of scientific expedition. There ves G !
central tent OF large size, which WAS evil |
IDENTIFY the headquarters, and half dCZen |
smaller tents staked eff at convenient dis !
tances. The people were already astir, |
the cooks were busy about breakfast. the |
grooms were feeding a group of fine look |
ing horses aud mules, and tender look !
ing young man in Cor, urOV knee
oreecdes, hig1 mOccasins snd white fan |
nel shirt, whom | at once took to be Mr.. !
Cushman himself, was pushing about |
with great activity. 1t was 8 very busy |
locking place, srd the sight of it vas q |
mCst welcome ore, for we had travelled !
many miles over the barren plains with
out seeing sign Cf human haoitstion,
Mr.. Cushmsn is acting under authority of
the Smithsonian Institution, and every
thing about his camp had the appearance
OF being prosperous and well cared for. 4
We felt ike we had got back under the
sheltering arms of the government. The
big black mules, the trim, we'll built 8ao-
one, the white, strong tents, the ebund-
ance Of food for both man and beast and
the ever beautiful American flag
i1ating over all made up psr-
,icularly inspiring spectacle and gave
Us q patriotic impulse that one could
EEL only in such a wild, untrodden region
IS Arizona. We we're welcomed nest
heartily By Mr.. Cushman and his assist
ants. He carries quite little commun-
ty with him. Fist is his wife AID her
sister, two very charming looking ladies' {
hen an engineer, an am2nuensis, q cook,
wo or three grooms anu general work :
men, and quite lot OF people to do the
iigging for remains Of the lost tribes.
)le lone tent was given up to the re- !
Mains that had been found They were
)eiDg asscr ed, labeled and packed away
n boxes for shipment to the Smithsonian
institution.
But what had he found2 A great deal.
lis discoveries had been almost Start
ing.
His camp was at the edge of what had
been q city of considerable size,
nd about 800 yards away was the citadel
II fortress OF this city. We walked over \
O this citadel and took general survey
rom that point. It had evidently been 8
uildipg of considerable size and streng b,
robaDly seven stories high, and had it's
Ouadation laid deep in the ear b. The {
Material used i'll its construction Wgs sun
ried clay, the same as that used by the
Iexicans of the lower and middle classes,
nd before Mr.. Cushman began =
is explorations there was moth
1g to mark its Wheres bouts except a
ort of oblong hillock or mound. Little
I the walls above the foundation were
ound intact, but the ground plan could
e placed in every detail, IS well as the
aes Of the outer wall. The rooms were
I different sizes, and seems &c have been
with much Architectural skill.
number of the smaller apartments had
been constructed for burial F
auIts, for when they we're opened up :
zeletons were found in them, the heads
eng invariably to the east. In n
ne OF these vaults was the skeI- :,
ION Of child. Mr.. CGshmsn ~
ss of the opinion that the building had 4
zen O sort OF combined citadel q,
Id sacred temple, and that the ~
'meins CT those found there were q
lose of priests and their fam N
les. He said he had encountered many -
yideuces that convinced him that the -
.ople VINO had inhabited the city had
ached the period IN civilization when
Ie priest is supreme in power. a chief :,
: king lived in the citadel, but he was -
I